There are two layers to backlink types. The attribute layer is dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC, the rel tags that tell search engines how to treat a link. The source layer is how the link was earned: editorial, guest post, directory, resource page, digital PR, broken link, niche edit, forum, and more. A page's link profile is judged by the mix of both, not any single type in isolation.
Every backlink falls into one of four attribute categories: dofollow (default, can pass authority), nofollow (rel="nofollow", a hint not to pass authority), sponsored (rel="sponsored", for paid placements), and UGC (rel="ugc", for user-submitted links). On top of that attribute layer sits the source layer: where and how the link was actually earned, which is what most "types of backlinks" lists really describe.
These four rel attributes are the technical foundation every other backlink type sits on top of. A guest post link, for example, is usually dofollow; a forum signature link is usually nofollow or ugc. Here is what each one means and how it looks in code.
| Attribute | HTML | What it tells Google |
|---|---|---|
| Dofollow | <a href="url">text</a> | No restriction. Can pass ranking authority to the destination. |
| Nofollow | <a href="url" rel="nofollow">text</a> | A hint not to pass authority. Still crawlable, still drives clicks. |
| Sponsored | <a href="url" rel="sponsored">text</a> | Marks the link as paid, part of an ad or sponsorship deal. |
| UGC | <a href="url" rel="ugc">text</a> | Marks the link as submitted by a site visitor, not the publisher. |
Google introduced the sponsored and ugc attributes in September 2019 to give publishers a more precise way to label links than the single catch-all nofollow tag allowed, and at the same time announced that nofollow itself would shift from being ignored outright to being treated as a hint the algorithm can weigh, effective March 2020.
Before 2009, some sites tried "PageRank sculpting": nofollowing internal links on purpose to funnel authority toward specific pages. Google closed that loophole so nofollow no longer works that way, which is one reason attribute alone never tells the whole story about a link's value.
Beyond the rel attribute, backlinks are usually described by how they were earned. These are the types that actually show up in outreach plans, competitor audits, and link building strategy, covered in depth in our guide to how to build backlinks.
An editorial backlink is a link a writer or editor adds on their own initiative, inside real content, because your page genuinely helped them make a point. Nobody requested it and nobody paid for it. A tech journalist citing your original research in a news article is a textbook example. This is the type Google's algorithms trust most, since it reflects an independent judgment about relevance rather than a transaction.
You write an article for another site in your niche and get a contextual link, usually within the body text or your author bio. The value depends entirely on the host site and the content quality: a thoughtful piece on a relevant, moderated site earns real authority, while a thin post churned out only to plant a link is exactly what Google's spam policies target. Our full guide to guest posting in SEO covers how to vet a site before pitching it.
Listings on industry directories, chambers of commerce, and recognized business profile sites (think Crunchbase, G2, or a local chamber site) fall here. Most are nofollow or carry limited weight individually, but a handful of relevant, reputable ones round out a natural-looking profile, especially for local businesses. Mass submission to generic, low-quality directories is a dated tactic that adds risk without adding rankings.
Many sites maintain a curated "resources" or "useful links" page for their audience. Getting listed means finding these pages with your target topic plus "resources" in a search, confirming the page is actively maintained, and pitching your page as a genuine addition. Because these pages are built to be link hubs, the links tend to be dofollow and topically relevant.
Digital PR backlinks come from journalists and publications covering a newsworthy story, an original data set, or a strong expert opinion you pitched them. The HARO-style variant is narrower: a platform connects you with a reporter's specific query, you send a sharp quote, and if it gets used you earn a link from that outlet, often for under an hour of work. Both land on high-authority domains that are difficult to reach any other way. See our guide to PR link building for the full process and cost.
You find a dead link on a relevant page, offer your own page as the replacement, and email the site owner. Because you are pointing out something already broken, the ask is easy to say yes to. Our broken link building guide covers the free tools and outreach templates for this method.
A niche edit is a link inserted into an existing, already-indexed article rather than a new piece built around it. Because the host page already has age and authority, a well-placed niche edit can pass strong signal fast, which is exactly why it is also the most commonly abused paid link format. Google's link spam policies apply in full if the placement is paid and not disclosed. Our guide to niche edits for link building breaks down where the line sits.
Links added inside blog comments, forum posts, and Q&A answers are almost always tagged rel="ugc" or rel="nofollow" by the platform itself. They rarely move rankings on their own, but a genuinely useful comment on a relevant, high-traffic thread can send real referral clicks and put your name in front of the right audience.
Technically not a backlink at all until it is fixed: a site mentions your brand or research by name without linking to it. A short, friendly email asking them to turn the mention into a link converts well because the relationship already exists. It is one of the fastest wins in any outreach plan.
Not every type deserves equal effort. This table ranks each type by typical authority-transfer strength and how hard it usually is to earn, based on how each type behaves in practice.
| Backlink type | Typical attribute | Authority-transfer strength | Acquisition difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial (earned) | Dofollow | Very high | High |
| Digital PR / HARO | Dofollow | Very high | High |
| Niche edit (in aged content) | Dofollow | High | Medium (often paid) |
| Guest post (body link) | Dofollow | Medium to high | Medium |
| Resource page | Dofollow | Medium | Low to medium |
| Broken link replacement | Dofollow | Medium | Medium |
| Guest post (author bio) | Dofollow or nofollow | Low to medium | Medium |
| Directory / business profile | Mixed | Low | Low |
| Sponsored / paid placement | Sponsored | None passed (by design) | Low (costs money) |
| Forum / comment / UGC | UGC or nofollow | Very low | Low |
| Social media profile | Nofollow | None to very low | Low |
Use this as a planning tool, not a strict formula. A single editorial link from a highly relevant, trusted publication in your niche can outweigh a dozen resource-page links, and a niche edit on an irrelevant site is worth less than its position on this table suggests. Relevance and placement still override the general pattern.
Dofollow, editorial, contextual links from relevant, authoritative pages move rankings the most, because Ahrefs' ranking factors research identifies referring domains, the count of unique sites linking to a page, as the strongest correlating backlink metric with where that page ranks. Types like directory listings, social profiles, and UGC comments mostly contribute traffic, trust, and a natural-looking profile rather than direct ranking lift.
Authority alone is not a reliable predictor either. Ahrefs' own 2025 study found only a weak, 0.131 Spearman correlation between a page's Domain Rating and its Google ranking position, which is a useful reminder that relevance and placement often matter more than the raw authority score of the linking domain.
No. Nofollow backlinks are a normal, expected part of any natural link profile, not a wasted placement. They rarely pass direct ranking authority, but they still drive referral clicks, build brand recognition, and since March 2020 Google treats the nofollow attribute as a hint it can weigh rather than an instruction it always ignores. A profile made up entirely of dofollow links actually looks unnatural to Google's spam systems. Our guide on whether nofollow links help SEO covers the evidence in full.
A few backlink types actively increase penalty risk rather than helping at all. Google's spam policies name these directly: private blog network (PBN) links, bought dofollow links without sponsored disclosure, large-scale reciprocal link exchanges, and mass, automated, or AI-spun guest posts and comment spam published only to host a link. These patterns can trigger action against your whole site, not just the page the link points to.
For the full breakdown of how Google's SpamBrain system catches these patterns and how to audit your own profile, see our guide to black hat link building. If you inherit a risky profile from a previous agency or a negative SEO attack, our guide to removing toxic backlinks covers the disavow process.
Pull your backlink profile from Google Search Console's Links report for a free baseline, or run your domain through a dedicated backlink tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush for a fuller picture including anchor text, referring domain authority, and the dofollow-to-nofollow ratio. Look specifically for how concentrated your links are in a small number of types: a profile that is almost entirely directory and forum links, for example, is missing the editorial links that actually move rankings.
If a full audit and rebuild is more than your team can take on, ongoing backlinks management keeps the mix healthy over time instead of reacting after a problem shows up, and unlinked mentions worth reclaiming often surface during that same process, which our link reclamation guide covers in detail.
What are the main types of backlinks? Backlinks split two ways: by attribute (dofollow, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC) and by source or method (editorial, guest post, directory, resource page, digital PR, broken link, niche edit, and forum or comment links, among others). Most pages carry a mix of both.
What is the difference between dofollow and nofollow backlinks? A dofollow link has no rel attribute stopping it, so it can pass ranking authority to the page it points to. A nofollow link carries rel="nofollow", telling Google not to treat it as an endorsement. Since 2020, Google treats nofollow as a hint rather than a strict rule, so a reputable nofollow link can still carry some weight.
What are editorial backlinks? An editorial backlink is a link another site adds on its own, inside real content, because the author judged your page worth citing. Nobody paid for it and nobody asked for it directly. It is the type search engines trust most because it reflects a genuine, independent choice.
What is a guest post backlink? A guest post backlink comes from an article you write and contribute to another website, usually placed in the body text or your author bio. It earns you a contextual link plus exposure to that site's audience, but only counts as white hat when the post is genuinely useful to readers, not published solely to host a link.
What is a niche edit backlink? A niche edit is a link inserted into an article that already exists and already ranks, rather than one built around new content. Site owners add it for a fee or in exchange for outreach value. It can pass strong authority since it sits inside aged, indexed content, but paid niche edits that pass follow authority without disclosure break Google's link spam policies.
Are directory backlinks still worth building? A handful of relevant, reputable directories (industry associations, chambers of commerce, well-known business listings) still help as foundational links and local SEO signals. Mass submission to low-quality, generic directories adds risk without meaningful ranking value and is a pattern Google's spam systems watch for.
What is a sponsored backlink? A sponsored backlink is a paid placement marked with rel="sponsored", the attribute Google introduced in 2019 specifically for links tied to advertising, sponsorships, or other compensation. Marking a paid link as sponsored keeps it compliant; leaving that attribute off a paid link is what turns it into a spam risk.
What is a UGC backlink? A UGC (user-generated content) backlink comes from something a visitor added themselves, such as a blog comment, forum post, or Q&A answer, rather than the site owner. The rel="ugc" attribute flags these links so search engines can weigh them separately from editorial content the site itself published.
Which type of backlink is best for SEO? A dofollow editorial link from a relevant, authoritative site placed inside the article body is generally the strongest single type, because it combines four things that matter most: authority, relevance, editorial intent, and prominent placement. No other type consistently beats that combination.
Are nofollow backlinks bad for SEO? No. Nofollow links are a normal, expected part of any natural link profile. They rarely move rankings directly, but they drive referral traffic, build brand recognition, and keep your overall link profile looking organic rather than manufactured, which indirectly supports your SEO.
Pull your current backlink profile and sort it by type. If editorial and guest post links are thin compared to directory and UGC links, that is your priority gap to close. Our guide to how to build backlinks walks through the outreach methods that earn the higher-value types on the table above, and our piece on what anchor text is covers the wording choices that go with each link once you land it.
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